Supplement company Bayer recently announced its launch of a new philanthropic effort, the Nutrient Gap Initiative, in which it will partner with the nonprofit organization Vitamin Angels to expand access to vitamins and minerals for underserved communities facing malnutrition.
 
The program’s goal is to reach 50 million people in underserved communities by the year 2030 through direct action and in partnership with NGOs, with a focus on intervention, education, and advocacy. The Nutrient Gap Initiative is the first program which is being launched as part of the company’s sustainability commitment, to enable access to everyday health for 100 million underserved people total by 2030.
 
Access to the right nutrients is most crucial during the first 1,000 days of life – during pregnancy and through the first two years – and is critical to a mother’s health in addition to the growth and development of a baby. Nutrient deficiencies are a major public health problem in underserved communities, with women and children being particularly vulnerable. Bayer reports that almost 50% of young women and adolescent girls in low- and middle-income countries have inadequate vitamin and mineral intake and at least half of children worldwide under the age of 5 suffer from this deficiency. The consequences of nutrient deficiency worsen over time, exacerbating lifespan and the cycle of poverty.
 
“As a leader and expert in supplemental nutrition, we know how important these nutrients are to help ensure health for all, particularly for vulnerable populations who need it most, like underserved women and children,” Heiko Schipper, president of the Consumer Health Division of Bayer AG women and Board of Management member, said. “Having a healthy baby is a concern for every parent and parent-to-be everywhere around the world and through The Nutrient Gap Initiative, we plan on creating programs that will help give babies the best start in life today and for generations to come.”
 
Because pregnant women and babies are the most vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies, the company’s focus will begin there. Preventing vitamin and mineral deficiencies early in pregnancy can help mitigate lifelong pregnancy outcomes, such as stunted growth and impaired neurological development, which lead to long-term and economic consequences for individuals and societies.
 
In terms of intervention, Bayer is committed to reaching up to 4 million underserved pregnant women and their babies annually with a daily multiple micronutrient supplementation intervention in partnership with global NGO Vitamin Angels and its partners, implementing programs to ensure high adherence and population-wide acceptance. The program will encourage the inclusion of this prenatal intervention into regular health services to help impact the first 1,000 days of life, and will begin in Indonesia, Mexico, the United States, and Vietnam before rolling out to other countries in subsequent years.
 
With Vitamin Angels and other partners, Bayer will develop a nutrition education curriculum to introduce and scale multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women. The company’s prenatal brand Elevit also created “Every Beginning,” an initiative to build global awareness for prenatal nutrition deficiency and helping parents and parents-to-be connect through universal experiences and gain access to vital nutrients. Additionally, the company will be advancing support for women and girls driving their own healthcare in partnership with the White Ribbon Alliance – in Indonesia, programming will focus on health education about maternal anemia, and in the United States, programming will focus on helping pregnant women and new moms navigate the healthcare system, self-care practices, and maternal nutrition.
 
Bayer will also partner with leading NGOs on broader advocacy efforts in cross-industry collaboration to support the global movement around maternal health. Currently, only 70% of low- and middle-income communities have access to iron-folic acid during pregnancy, which is not considered sufficient based on World Health Organization guidelines, and Bayer aims to help close this gap.